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Rockne Brubaker
Rockne L. Brubaker, II (born June 21, 1986) is an American pair skater. With former partner Keauna McLaughlin, he was the 2008 & 2009 U.S. National Champion and the 2007 World Junior Champion. With former partner Mary Beth Marley, he was the 2012 Four Continents bronze medalist and 2012 U.S. silver medalist. Biography Personal life Rockne Brubaker Jr was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He was named after his father, Rockne Brubaker Sr, who was named after Knute Rockne. His younger brother Collin Brubaker is a competitive Ice dancer. He is a student at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Brubaker graduated from Harry D. Jacobs High School in Algonquin, IL. Career Rockne Brubaker originally competed as a single skater, reaching the level of novice. He competed as a pair skater at the same time and eventually gave up singles to focus on pairs. With partner Stephanie Freitag, he placed 5th at the novice level at the 2001-2002 season Midwestern Sectional Championships. With partner Mariel Miller, Brubaker achieved success on the junior level. They won bronze medals at the 2004-2005 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final and the 2005-2006 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final. They won the junior title at the 2005 U.S. Figure Skating Championships. While originally intending to compete at the senior level at the 2006 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Miller & Brubaker announced their split in December, 2005, citing a lack of height difference that could lead to injury. They were coached by Dalilah Sappenfield and Tom Zakrajsek. Partnership with McLaughlin Brubaker teamed with Keauna McLaughlin in early 2006, and the pair went undefeated in their first competitive season together (2006-2007). In that season, McLaughlin and Brubaker competed on the 2006-2007 ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit and won both their events and the Junior Grand Prix Final. They went on to win the junior title at both the 2007 United States Figure Skating Championships and the 2007 World Junior Champion. McLaughlin and Brubaker were the fourth American pair team in history to win the World Junior Championships. Because of the age difference between McLaughlin and Brubaker, this was their only junior-age-eligible season. McLaughlin and Brubaker began the 2007-2008 season on the 2006-2007 Grand Prix of Figure Skating circuit at the 2007 Cup of China, where they won the silver medal. They won a second silver medal at the 2007 NHK Trophy. Their success at these two competitions qualified them for the 2007-2008 Grand Prix Final, but they withdrew after the short program due to an injury to Brubaker. Later that season, they competed at the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and won the senior national title, becoming the first U.S. pairs team in 51 years to win consecutive junior and senior national titles. Despite winning the U.S. Championships, McLaughlin and Brubaker were not assigned to the World Championship team or the World Junior Championship team due to ISU age restrictions. McLaughlin was too young for senior ISU championships and Brubaker was too old for the World Junior Championships. McLaughlin and Brubaker's win, combined with the wins of Jessica Rose Paetsch & Jon Nuss on the junior level, and Brynn Carman & Christopher Knierim on the novice level, gave their coach Dalilah Sappenfield a sweep of national pair champions for 2008, an accomplishment which led to Sappenfield being named Coach of the Year. McLaughlin and Brubaker began the 2008-2009 season at the 2008 Skate America, where they won the silver medal. A week later they competed at the 2008 Skate Canada, where they won the bronze medal. At the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, McLaughlin and Brubaker successfully defended their national title, which resulted in them being selected to compete at the 2009 Four Continents Championships and the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships. In May 2009, McLaughlin and Brubaker changed coaches to John Nicks"Two-time U.S. Pairs Champions McLaughlin and Brubaker Announce Coaching Change" U.S. Figure Skating, May 22, 2009 and relocated to California."Psyched Out: Pairs Skaters Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker's Disastrous Olympic Trials" Marnie Hanel, Vanity Fair, January 20,2010 McLaughlin and Brubaker began the 2009–2010 season at the 2009 Cup of Russia, where they won the bronze medal. They continued their season at the 2009 Skate America, where they placed 4th. As the top American pair team on the international circuit, McLaughlin and Brubaker entered the 2010 U.S. Championships as the favorites to win their third consecutive national title and secure one of the two pair skating berths on the U.S. Olympic team. Despite several days of strong practices, they delivered an uncharacteristically rough short program, including falls on a triple salchow and a freak fall on a death spiral, leaving them in 7th place. The pair was able to move up to 5th place after the long program but it was not enough to win a place on the Olympic team.Brubaker, McLaughlin left off team John Blanchette and Dave Trimmer, The Spokesman-Review, January 17, 2010 Determined to rebound from their national result, McLaughlin and Brubaker competed at the 2010 Four Continents less than ten days later. There, they recorded a personal best score in the short program and ultimately won the silver medal. In June 2010, McLaughlin and Brubaker announced the end of their partnership.Two-Time U.S. Pairs Champions Keauna McLaughlin And Rockne Brubaker Announce End Of Partnership U.S. Figure Skating, June 22, 2010 Partnership with Marley Brubaker and Mary Beth Marley partnered in summer 2010, although she had no previous pairs experience.Competitive Ice Skating Runs Thick in Brubaker Blood, Stephanie Price, Algonquin Patch, January 7 2011 Marley relocated to Aliso Viejo, California,Unlikely Chicago-area pair could surprise at nationals Philip Hersh, Chicago Tribune, January 22, 2011 and they began training together in earnest in September with coach John Nicks.Brubaker eyes podium with new partner, Alexa Ainsworth, Universal Sports, October 8, 2010 Their first international competition was the Mentor Nestle Nesquik Cup in Toruń, Poland, where they earned the minimum technical scores required to compete at an ISU Championship. They placed fourth at the 2011 U.S. Nationals and were named as alternates for the Four Continents Championships. They were assigned to the event after an injury led Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett to withdraw.U.S. pair Marley & Brubaker going places fast Philip Hersh, chicagotribune.com, Feburary 12, 2011 Jenni Meno and Todd Sand became their main coaches for the 2011–12 season and Nicks also continued to work with the pair.Savchenko, Szolkowy tackle throw triple Axel Lynn Rutherford, Icenetwork, October 21, 2011 Rink notes: Marley, Brubaker 'different team now' Lynn Rutherford, Ice Network, January 26, 2012 In the 2011-2012 season, Marley and Brubaker won bronze at the Coupe de Nice, and came in 7th at Skate America. They placed second at the United States Nationals, and 3rd at the Four Continents Championships, but only 10th at the World Championships. For the 2012–2013 season, Marley and Brubaker were assigned to Skate Canada International and NHK Trophy, however, on August 14, 2012, the pair announced the end of their partnership. Brubaker plans to continue in competitive figure skating with a new partner.U.S. pairs skaters Marley, Brubaker end partnership Icenetwork, August 14, 2012 Programs With Marley With McLaughlin (with Miller) Competitive highlights Pairs career With Marley With McLaughlin (with Miller) * N = Novice level; J = Junior level (with Freitag} Singles career * N = Novice level References External links * McLaughlin & Brubaker Official Site Category:American figure skaters Category:Pairs skaters Category:United States champions Category:Junior World champions Category:Novice mens skaters Category:Junior pairs skaters Category:Novice pairs skaters